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Explore the key principles and milestones of the Waste & Resources Strategy, including EPR, DRS, material consistency, extended producer responsibility, and waste infrastructure.
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The Waste & Resources Strategy Welcoming in a new era of resource focussed waste management policyVictoria Hutchin
Welcome • Associate Waste & Resource Management Consultant • Top 3 in 35 under 35 Awards 2018 • 12 years of sector experience • Chartered Waste Manager and Chartered Environmentalist
Who are WYG? • WYG is an award-winning professional services firm operating from more than 50 locations across the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia • We serve our clients through six business streams: • International Development • Infrastructure & Built Environment • Programme & Project Management • Surveying & Asset Management • Environmental • Waste and Resource Management • Planning & Transport • https://www.wyg.com/consulting/environmental
Starting point • Recycling rate 44.9% (England) • 90% (£700m) of cost of household recycling collections and processing covered by Council tax • 10% (£73m) covered by producers (LARAC) • Phil Conran – Chair of advisory committee on packaging • Currently not about long-term sustainability • Focus on meeting that years’ target
Key Strategy Principles • To work towards making all packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 • Zero food waste to landfill by 2030 • Eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2042 • Doubling resource productivity by 2050 • Eliminating avoidable waste by 2050 The beginning of the end of the ‘buy, consume, throwaway’ linear ethos
Key Milestones Source: Our Waste, Our Resources: A Strategy for England, December 2018
Challenging status quo • EPR and DRS – help guarantee waste products have a value at the end of life • Quantity and quality of materials available and stimulate demand in secondary market • Recycling targets for packaging • Tax on plastic packaging with <30% recycled content • Potential future Tax on incineration Source: Our Waste, Our Resources: A Strategy for England, December 2018
Material Consistency Purpose: Deliver high quality Source: A Framework for greater consistency in household recycling in England, WRAP
Material Quality • Reform Packaging Waste Regulations • Easier to recycle • Consult on exports • Easier for consumers to know what to recycle • Review Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2015 by the end of 2020 • When is separate collection necessary? • Role of Communications • Quality standards for compost and digestate – fully adopted
LA Support • New Statutory responsibilities subject to assessment of new burdens • Increase revenue for LAs • Government to work with urban authorities to improve recycling • Pilots of co-collection of commercial & domestic waste • Zoned collections of commercial & domestic waste • Align National Planning Policy with Strategy • Two-tier authorities • Better sharing of assets • Agreed service standards • Review of cost sharing inc. recycling credits
How might the funding work? • Income from EPR • More polluting / less recyclable products = higher producer cost • EPR = incentive to improve packaging • Potentially LESS INCOME PER ITEM as products improved BUT • Potentially MORE ITEMS as more products are recyclable • EPR + Min recycled content • Creates demand for secondary materials
Deposit Return Schemes • Deposit at point of purchase, refunded when items are returned • Public awareness is relatively low – 66% (RECOUP) • 59% think deposit will be 10p per container or more (RECOUP) • DRS income fed back into the recycling system • Align with Scotland and other devolved nations On-the-go or more extensive?
Impact of DRS • Potential reduction in litter? Figures as high as 90% • Collective savings modelled to be as high as £35m a year • Zero Waste Scotland – Savings £50m – landfill tax and litter reduction • Public perception is good Will the impact be greater in cities where DRS will be more accessible?
Impact of DRS • Potential reduction in kerbside material & income • Certain costs are fixed • Minimum collection resource level • Admin, management and overhead • Assets and infrastructure • Contractual terms What will this mean for local recycling rates? And will this matter?
Extended Producer Responsibility • Recover full net cost • Implemented by 2023 • Minimum recycled content 30% for plastic bottles (Tax by 2022) • Lower fees for products easier to recycle • Increase buyer awareness and influence purchasing decisions Drive packaging innovation and gradually remove less recyclable / resource efficient products from market
Waste Infrastructure • Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme • £3 billion by 2042 on developing new waste infrastructure • Increasing capacity • Increasing investor confidence • Improving UK competitiveness in this market • Process more waste at home • Providing a large & stable supply of recyclable waste materials • Increasing the quality of the waste materials to be recycled • Improving demand for recycled materials & market stability • Levelling the playing field for UK – minimising illegal exports
HWRCs • Minimum standards at HWRCs • Reuse at HWRCs • Amend Waste Regulations for HWRCs • Reuse guidance • Targets for LAs – set by Government • Requirements for LAs to set own targets • Reporting to encourage greater provision of reuse facilities
Waste Minimisation • Implementation of food labelling guidance (developed 2017) • Food redistribution before it becomes waste • Amounts to 250 million meals per annum • £15 million pilot scheme to be launched in 2019 • Appointment of Food Surplus and Waste Champion • £10m collaboration fund • E.g. alternative commercial outlets for non-specification goods OR • Shortened supply chains
Prevention of Crime • Mandating digital recording of waste movements – subject to consultation • Easier for HH to understand & comply with duty of care • Intelligence sharing – police, local authorities, HMRC & industry • Fly-tipping toolkit = web-based tools • Changes to waste exemptions • Possible tax registration checks • Creation of joint unit for waste crime
victoria.hutchin@wyg.com If you would like any more information, please visit www.wyg.com